The classic Alias makes its return this week to celebrate its 25th anniversary, and there’s plenty to celebrate outside of that. Not only is Jessica Jones appearing in the next season of Daredevil, but the new Alias: Red Band is getting the polybagged adult-only treatment. This could spell huge dividends for a series that isn’t known for playing nice.
Alias: Red Bad #1 is a good first issue, tucked nicely into the current melodramas of Marvel continuity. The heaviest element of that is Jessica’s husband, Luke Cage, being the mayor, which puts a huge damper on Jessica being a detective. In fact, she’s not allowed to be one, per Luke, which puts a rift between the two in this opener. On the one hand, you can see how Jessica being a vigilante detective is bad for Luke, and on the other, Jessica should be her own woman.
Outside of the relationship stuff, this is a good noir-esque mystery for Jessica to solve. After retiring from work, the issue opens with her grabbing some things from her office, only to see a bloody rat rushing into a neighbor’s apartment. By Jessica’s side is a photojournalist snapping pics for the mayoral office, and it seriously ticks Jessica off. He also tips off newspapers on a murder she uncovers, setting in motion Jessica’s motivation to solve the crime, and Luke tells her to stand down.
BLOOD!
Credit: Marvel
If you’re wondering why this is polybagged, it’s not because of gore. No, in fact, the violence is tame in this issue. Instead, there’s some swearing. That’s it, Not much reason to polybag this aside from being a Marvel gimmick.
If all these details don’t sway you to buy this issue, you should know there’s a heck of an interesting dynamic set up in the back third of it. It involves Typhoid Mary, who is running things while Kingpin is in the hospital after Punisher shot him up in Punisher: Red Band. Sam Humphries writes a great Typhoid Mary, who is equal parts ADHD, intense, and a little scary to look at. Think Harley Quinn, but more dangerous and less silly.
Art is by Geraldo Borges, with colors by Arthur Hesli, both of whom supply striking visuals that use negative space throughout to make panels pop. There are panels here that reminded me of Francesco Francavilla’s work, with some inventive layouts, like a double-page splash of Luke and Jessica, a near-full-page on one side turned away, and hand-drawn close-up panels of each arguing. The naunce in expressions helps convey the pain and anger both are feeling, making the marriage element feel real. A similar double-page structure between Jessica and Typhoid Mary features exceptional, rapidly shifting facial expressions by Typhoid Mary that hammer home her untethered personality. Throw in some interesting red-and-white panels among these close-ups, and there are interesting things going on with the visuals throughout the issue.
One minor visual quibble, Jessica sometimes looks positively crazed in her expressions. I get she’s going through it at times, but for a hero, she seems untethered from reality by her reactions, which doesn’t seem customary for her.
Alias: Red Band #1 brings Jessica Jones back with a story that understands what makes her compelling. The friction between Jessica and Luke Cage gives the issue emotional weight, especially as his position as mayor clashes with her instincts as a detective who refuses to look the other way. The dark and disturbing comes through in the visuals and the always-entertaining Typhoid Mary, while Borges and Hesli elevate the material with striking compositions. The Red Band branding may feel overstated given what is on the page, but the issue itself succeeds by focusing on character drama, uneasy alliances, and a dangerous new alliance with Typhoid Mary.
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